Sealed beam lamp retaining ring for headlights



Aug. 3, 1954 T. E. M DOWELL SEALED BEAM LAMP RETAINING RING FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed May 19, 1950 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l "7710mm McDowell 3, 1954 T. E. MCDOWELL 2,685,641

SEALED BEAM LAMP RETAINING RING FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed May 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I i l 17775 27/57 1 Thomas E. McDowe'll Patented Aug. 3, 1954 SEALED BEAM LAMP RETAINING RING FOR HEADLIGHTS Thomas E. McDowell, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Pyle National Company, Chicago, 111., -.a corporation of New Jersey Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 163,034

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locomotive headlight assemblies and more particularly to a molded rubber retaining ring and lamp door structure affording a mounting for a sealed beam lamp whereby servicing operations may be effected without the use of tools and without requiring the use of removable parts in the sealed beam lamp retaining structure.

According to the general features of the present invention, a locomotive headlight assembly is provided which includes an open ended casing having a lamp door hinged on the open end thereof, the lamp door having at least one opening therein to receive a sealed beam lamp of the type having a flange overlying the edges of the opening. An undercut annular recess is provided adjacent the opening in the lamp door and receives an annular ring portion of a flexible molded rubber retaining ring, the retainer ring being carried by the door normally although being removable therefrom. A relative thin walled portion of the retainer ring'adjoins the portion thereof carried by the door and terminates in a radially inwardly extending lip portion adapted to overlie the flange of the sealed beam lamp. The flange of the lamp is therefore 'firmly retained between the lamp door and the lip of the retainer ring. An axially extending finger manipulable flanged portion adjoins the lip portion of the retainer ring and may be manipulated to hinge the lip about the thin walled portion whenever it is necessary or de sirable to insert or remove the sealed beam lamp from the opening in the lampdoor. The ring further includes a relieved recessed portion which lies between the lip portion and the thin walled portion. By the provision of this recess, the lip may be subjected to flexure at the locale of said recess in order to accommodate dimensional tolerances in lamp flange thicknesses.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel and improved sealed beam lamp retaining arrangement for a locomotive headlight assembly which permits the ready assembly of'a sealed beam lamp unit in the headlight assembly without necessitating theme of special tools or without requiring the provision of removable elements which may be lost during a servicing operation. v

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lamp retaining ring for a sealed beam lamp type locomotive headlight assembly whereby a sealed beam lamp may be inserted in a lamp door and placed in firm assembly therewith merely by finger manipulation of a portion of the retaining ring.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sealed beam lamp type locomotive assembly which may be fabricated from a reduced number of simplified elements.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the following detailedde scription and the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of a headlight assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view with parts broken away of a locomotive headlight assembly constructed in accordance with the'principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view with parts shown in cross-section of a lamp retaining ring provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the locomotive headlight assembly shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view with parts shown in elevation illustrating the insertion or withdrawal of a sealed beam lamp from or into the lamp door of a headlight as-.

s'embly equipped with the structure provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and a Figure 5 is a view similarito Figure 4 showing the sealed beam lamp in fully assembled relationship with the lamp door of the headlight assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring first to Figures 1 and 3, a locomotive headlight assembly is indicated generally by the reference numeral l0 and includes an open ended casing H having windows l2 and I3 there-;

in which carry translucent members Ho and. Ba which, in the case of a locomotive headlight assembly, could take the form of a numeral indicia for identifying the locomotive upon which the headlight assembly I0 is carried.

A door [4 is provided and is hinged at the openend of the casing II, the door [4 being provided with suitable aperture bosses Ma and the casing being provided with suitable pivotally mount the door M on the casing l I.

A suitable latching structure is provided on the other side of the door l4 so that the door 14 may be locked in closed relationship with the casing H, the latching structure including a pair of slotted bosses 11 which receive latch studs I8 aperture bosses I la' through which hinge pins l6 may be passed topivotally carried by appropriate bosses I9 on the casing II. A wing nut 29 is threaded on each of the latch studs I8 and may be drawn up to tighten the door in assembly with the casing i I.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the details of the door" construction I4 are shown; A. peripherall recess-:2 I is provided to receive a gasket 22 adapted to sealingly shoulder against the casing II whenever the door I4 is in closed position. In this manner, leakage of. moistureor. foreign. particles of dirt into the casingis precluded...

The door I4 is provided with one or more openings 23 to receive a sealed; beam lamp. therein. Although the sealed beam lamp; per so, does. not. form a part of this invention, such lamps being" commercially available, the features.- thereofv will be briefly described because the principles of the present invention favorably exploit the'variousv structural characteristics thereof. Since the structural details; ofthe sealed beam lamps. and the: retaining means: provided in the door. I 4 for such. lamps; are identical, similar reference numerals will; be employed wherever possible.

The sealed beam. lamp. is; indicated generally the reference numeral Z-Band" includesra clear lensportion; Zfiaanda bowl-shaped back portion 2.61). which; is appropriately silvered tocomprise an integrali reflector, therev being an annular flange 26.0 between; the bowl-shaped back. portion 25b. and thecIearlensportion.26a. As shown. in

Figure 3, suitable electrical? contacts/26d are provided to afford electrical connection tofilament meanswithinthe bowl of the sealed beam lamp. Qonductrs-.2,'I=.may' be connected to the. contacts. 25d, and-are-also connected inawell known, manner to a source of electrical-energy;

As. will be noted particularly upon Figures 1 and. 4,. the edge portions ofv the opening 23 are Slottedasat 28 to receive a polarizing boss 29 formed at spacedapart points onthe. sealed beam 1amp'26. The provision. of such polarizing'means is desirable inorder to: dispose the filament. of the: sealed beam lam 26-. in predetermined relationship. to. the headlight assembly ill.

Most. sealed beam lamps 25- are. also provided with a. pairv of seating bosses; 3!}: one of which lies adjacent eachside of the-various polarizing bosses. 2'9. portion 260, extend radially outwardly so asto overlie the edge portions of the opening, 23 thereby engagingly abutting the door l4.

Directly adjacent. the opening; 23. in the door Ifiiis arr-annular recess it! which receives arrannular rib 32 formed. ina configurationcomplementary to the recess 3i. andcomprisingan integral portion of a lamp retainer ring 33.

The-lamp. retainer ring. 33 is preferably made of'amoldedlrubber-like material suitably com-.- poundedlso. as to. have favorable weather resistant. characteristics and. preferably of such composition, as. to remain elastically flexible under all1possibleweather. conditions undernor malusage...

A relatively thin. walled hinge portion 341s. definedby the ring 33, the. hingev portion 34 together with. the. rib 3.2 defining the'wallsmf a: bore 3'6" which. is adapted to receive thei flange 2'6cofthe sealed beamlamp 2t.

The hinge. portion 34 extendsaxially: and terminates in.a radially inwardly extending lip portion 31' which is adapted to overlie the outward face of. the flangev 2.50 of the sealed beam; lamp.

26 the lip 3'Ltogether with. the abutmentmeans defined by the. edge portions, of theopening 23' operating to" securely. olampthe flange 26c. and.

The seating bosses, like the flange .is provided on the ring 33, thus the flexible ring 33 may be distorted or, in other words, the lip 31: may. behingedly displaced about the hinge pOILlOIhfiA-KSO. as. to. be moved out of alignment with the flange 260 of the sealed beam lamp 26.

In Figure 4", the retainer ring 33 is shown in its. flexed. position and the sealed beam lamp 26 is shown being moved into or away from the assembled position in-the opening, 23. of. thedoor IA.

InFig-ure 5, the sealedbeamlamp. 26 is shown:

in regularyassembled position, the retaining ring 33. also being shownin its normalundistorted retrainingv position.

It will be apparent, therefore, that. in operation, the sealed. beam. lamp. 2.6 will shoulder against the door I41 andtheretainer ring. 33 will operate tov thrust. axially inwardly. against. the

flange 262: of. the sealed. beamlamp 26. to. retain.

same in firm assembly with the door I'4'.

The distortable. lip 37. promotes a snug sealing.

engagement with the flange 2E0. whichnotv only weatherproofs the headlight-assembly but operates to axially load the sealed'beam. lamp 2!; in

the direction of the door I4". The radiusarea. 3.8 permits accommodation of manufacturing tolerances in the sealed beam lamp Z6. and the.

hinge area 34 permitsbending. or. hinging of the ring when the axially extending flange. 39. is manipulated through a simple finger operation as;.for example,.in replacinga. sealed beamlamp 26;.

Although various minor structural modifications mightbe suggested by. those versed. in the art; itgshould be understood that I do not. wishto be" limited to the precise details herein described for" the sake of clarity only but wishto embody withinthe scope ofthis patent allsuch modifications as reasonably and properly come. within the scopeof'my contributionto the artlas. definedv in' the appended claims.

I claimas my invention; 1. In a headlight assembly, a rigid support.

member having. an opening therein.to. receive a.

sealed beam lampof. the. type having. a. support flange adaptedito, overlie. the edges. of said opening, a flexible retainer. ring. having. a. peripheralv portion supported insideof said. opening by said. rigidsupport member,...said ring. having a flexible hinge. portion terminating in lippor-tion overlying said. support flange. oi said,lamp,,said retainer ring together. with. said. supportmember normally. operative to. clamp K said. lamp: therebetween. in; firm assembly. with: one another, the lip. portion. of. said ring. being. hingedlydisplace-= able. about said. flexible hinge portion to-permit. removal ofsaid lampirom said support member,.

said ring further including arelieved-recess-area. between saidlip portion and saidhinge. portion, whereby limited flexure of. said-lip, inzthe locale-of. saidrecess will.accommodate.varying-lampflange thicknesses, said-ringiurther. including an axial.-

ly extendingilange.adjacentisaid liprportion and. projecting: outwardly;- Qfl said; opening! and? fortwardly of said support member; and; forming a lever means with which to hingedly displace said lip portion.

2. In a headlight assembly, a rigid support member having an opening therein, an undercut annular recess adjacentsaid opening in said support member, said opening adapted to receive a sealed beam lamp of the type having a flange overlying the edges of the opening, and a flexible retainer ring including an annular rib portion formed in a configuration complementary to said annular recess for supporting said flexible retainer ring inside of said opening on said rigid support member, a relatively thin walled portion adjacent said rib portion to encircle the flange of said lamp and to operate as a flexible hinge, said thin walled portion terminating in a radially inwardly extending lip portion to overlie said flange of said lamp,i whereby said lamp will be normally retained between said support member and said lip portion and an axially extending flange portion adjacent said lip projecting outwardly of said opening and forwardly of said support member to be manipulated in hinging said lip about said thin walled portion for inserting and removing said lamp from said opening, said ring further including a recesesd portion between said lip portion and said thin walled portion, said lip portion being subject to flexure at said recess to accommodate dimensional tolerances in lamp flange thickness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,723,308 Sipe Aug. 6,. 1929 2,22,981 Casson Dec. 24, 1 940 2,332,362 Bartow Oct. 19, 1943 233;,900 Bosten et a1. Nov. 23, 1943 2,344,985 Freygang Mar. 28, 1944 2,49%,652 Ganzert Jan. 1'7, 1950 2,534,992 Reid Dec. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Niimber Country Date 483,631 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1938 OTHER REFERENCES Railway Mechanical Engineer, pages (381) 95 and 96 (382). 

